Morning, December 17, 1820.

SERMON XVI.

THE POWER OF GOD IN CREATION AND

REDEMPTION.

With God, all things are possible.—MARK X. 27.

If we contrast the latter part of this verse with the former, we shall find this important truth, that nothing is possible with man, whilst all things are possible with God. If this truth, in all its richness, could take full possession of our hearts, it would procure us a little heaven even here. Unbelief takes a much firmer hold of our hearts than we are aware of. The Saviour spake the words of the text upon a particular occasion: there came to him a young man, who addressed him, saying, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God." Christ made this reply evidently to teach the young man his divinity, not questioning but that the young man's

answer should be, because thou art God, therefore, I call thee "good;" and he proceeded to say, "thou knowest the commandments,-do not commit adultery,-do not kill,-do not steal,-do not bear false witness,-defraud not, -honor thy father and mother," verse 19. "And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth," verse 20. He evidently was a young man of amiable dispositions, and we are told, verse 21, "then Jesus beholding him loved him;" so it is right we should love amiable qualities in our fellow-creatures; but we should not love those qualities as we love the image of God in their hearts. Christ makes this distinction and seemed to say, amiable and lovely as he was, yet he wanted the principal thing,-he wanted the love of God in his heart, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsover thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven

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and come, take And he was sad

up the cross, and follow me. at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." And thus our Saviour proved to the young man himself, and has left it a record to posterity also, that by the young man's own feelings, at that moment, he wanted the principle of love to God in the midst of all his amiableness, and loveliness of natural

character, his possessions were his idols. He did not love Jesus,-had that been the case, he would not have gone away sorrowing. Christ takes this opportunity of giving his disciples this rich lesson: "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God," and adds, for the benefit of his disciples, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God; and continues, in the 25th verse, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." This was a proverb amongst the Jews. Now it is also a lesson that you and I have need of learning; and indeed, in looking abroad into the world, we do not find many rich or noble called; not many mighty are among the children of God. These riches, though in themselves blessings, become great snares, because man is prone to make them so. It has been God's purpose, from all eternity, to give his Church himself, for her possession, and to preserve her as a possession for himself exclusively; and this is the reason why the people of God are in general poor, that they may find him the richest possession. Now

if

you see a child amusing itself in playing with the fire, and, notwithstanding your caution, persisting in running into the risk of burning

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itself-what do you ? you place a guard before the fire; you place this obstacle between the child, and the source of danger. The time is fast approaching when we shall be thoroughly convinced, that God is as beneficent in withholding, as in giving; his love is equally evinced in taking away, as in bestowing. It is important we should view ourselves, and all around us, in the mirror of truth. We shall then see the men of the world making riches their idol, and the enjoyments which riches purchase their sole pursuit. "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God,-God is not in all his thoughts." Their conduct is reprehensible, but they are to be pitied. Yes, my brethren, the time is fast approaching, when we shall view those things which men so much prize, as worthless. The child amuses itself in making bubbles, and when it has formed them, runs after them with eagerness and delight; and when it is upon the point of grasping this unsubstantial creation, the bubble bursts. I love to see children amuse themselves-it is needful for their health: but when I see men of the world, beings of immortal destinies, spending their money for that which is not bread, and their labour for that which satisfieth not, it makes me grieve. There may be some present to whom God may

have given much of the good things of this world take care! I warn you that the power is not in you, to keep yourselves from abusing them; the same power that upholds the planets in their course, is needful to keep you from this danger.

I propose to consider,

I. THE POWER OF GOD GENERALLY; and, II. AS WE FIND IT DISPLAYED IN THE

REDEMPTION AND SALVATION OF HIS CHURCH.

I. POWER ESSENTIALLY EXISTS IN GOD, AND IN NO ONE ELSE: all power that exists in the creature, not only originally emanates from God, but is continued from him every moment; it is essence in Him, and in no being else. God is power; but the utmost that can be said of the creature is, that he is powerful. We hear philosophers telling us of the laws of nature'; this, my brethren, is the slang of heathenism: all power flows from God; the whole course of nature owes its governance and progress to him, and to him alone. It has been justly said of the Divine perfections, that as holiness constitutes the beauty, so power constitutes the life of all the other perfections of the Deity. When we look among the works of creation, every thing may fill us with wonder, if we view those works as we ought. But, alas! how